Octane Results:
Human Resources

When you think team building, what springs to mind? Embarrassing games? Trust falls? Facilitators who break into songs and cheers? It’s almost embarrassing to think that company leaders believe these activities could promote teamwork.

If this is your idea of team building, let me apologize. I’ll be the first to admit that these exercises happen every day at well-intentioned business organizations. But you should realize that trust falls and company cheers don’t (and shouldn’t) make up a complete approach to team building.(more…)

Security cameras and monitoring systems provide an excellent solution for theft prevention. Plus, they provide a good way to keep an eye on staff and customers while you’re away. However, outfitting every corner of your home or office with cameras and sensors may leave both employees and patrons feeling uneasy.

So how do you strike a balance between securing your business without making people feel like they’re being spied on?

The answer is simple: Provide a level of privacy. Here’s how.

Step 1: Know the laws.*

While silently video recording is generally legal in any public area, recording audio is a different story. It’s almost always illegal to record audio without one of the recorded parties being aware of the recording. Depending on the state, audio recordings may require “two-party consent”—that is, everyone must be aware that audio is being recorded, including on video that has sound. (more…)

Project management can be a minefield—and it requires teamwork, communication, awareness and competence to navigate. We’ve all encountered projects failing needlessly owing to a range of reasons. So what are the primary causes of project breakdowns? Here, we’ve compiled a list of the eight most common project management pitfalls to overcome on the path to success. (more…)

Hiring a new employee comes with risks. The right hire can drive your company forward to greater success. Invest in the wrong person, however, and you can cause real damage to company culture and productivity. Startup CEOs, in particular, should be wary of making common hiring mistakes.

1. Hiring constantly.A common misstep made by startup entrepreneurs is hiring too often or hiring for a quick fix. Not only will you waste time as you assess candidates, but you also risk wasting money on rash hiring decisions.

2. Hiring someone because you know them.When you hire friends or family members, you set yourself up for a few potential problems. Will that person expect special treatment? If the person doesn’t perform well, will you be able to give honest criticism—or will you lower your standards as you avoid speaking to the person? If needed, can you fire that person—and still remain friends? (more…)

In hiring it’s important to remember people are not commodities, individuals are not interchangeable. Even with equal skills or experience, every person is unique, and so is every company and role. It’s important to find the right person for the right position—that’s an Ideal Fit.

Imagine this scenario: you’ve interviewed two candidates for a position on your team. They are equally qualified from an experience and skills set perspective. (more…)